The Beauty of Indoor Gardening

The benefits of gardening don’t need to be limited to outdoors! The world of indoor gardening allows you to enjoy gardening year round and also grow your own food or herbs. There are a few things to look out for, and here we provide great thoughts from 3 articles to assist you when you decide to bring your gardening skills inside.

“When gardening indoors, I highly recommend starting your own plants from seed—don’t use outdoor transplants. Why? Because when you bring a plant inside, there’s a good chance you’ll bring something (i.e., a pest or plant disease) with it. Even plants that appear healthy aren’t worth the risk. Once garden pests take root (no pun intended) in your home, they can be difficult to eradicate, as there are no natural predators indoors.”

Thoroughly saturate the soil until water comes out the bottom of the pot. (If the water is not reabsorbed within a day or so, empty out the saucer.) When you can, take plants to a sink or a tub and give them a soaking; most plants love this. (African violets are an exception.)

How can I remember to water?

Refill the watering can (or milk jug or any container you like) each time you finish watering, then leave it out as a reminder. This will also allow the water to come to room temperature and give additives (like fluoride) a chance to dissipate. Keep needy plants in plain sight so you don’t forget about them.”

Plants need light, but different plants have different requirements. Try to match indoor plants to the environmental condition of your home. There are 3 key aspects of light to keep in mind: Intensity, Duration and Quality.

Intensity is the strength of the light.

Duration is the length of time the light is available. Compare an east window with a south window.

Quality – there are many artificial light sources, but nothing beats the natural light of the sun!

Another often overlooked secret is to clean the leaves. Dirty leaves block sunlight, glorious sunlight.Wipe the leaves with a damp sponge, or if your plant is easy to move, simply put it in the shower for awhile. Keep the temperature of the water tepid, not warm or cold. Another benefit of showering your plants is that insect populations might be reduced as they might go down the drain with the dust. If you do notice bugs left after you have given your plant a shower a great way to help kill them without harming your plants is to use an insecticidal soap.”

Conclusion:

With these tips in mind there’s nothing to stop you from creating a beautiful indoor garden. Pick out your favorites, show them love and care, then tell us how you did! We’d love to hear about it! Shoot us a comment in the section below!